Home composting
:For the main article, see Composting. Home composting is the small scale domestic application of the principles of sustainable, biodegradable waste management,Texas Cooperative Extension on composting i.e. composting. The general principles involved in composting apply to any scale, from "backyard" to industrial, but the techniques will vary for each with the size of the waste stream, the cost, the amount of effort, and the organization required. Industrial scale systems are invariably capital and/or labor intensive, but on the home or small-farm scale, composting can be managed to require varying outlay of capital and labor. For the small urban household, an indoor BokashiDr. Tahir Hussain, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad on localized EM use or worm bin may suffice. For a suburban property with a larger yard and a food garden, a bin system would be preferable.Composting structures In small farm settings, a seasonal windrow system might be required. Purpose Past practices of biodegradable waste disposal not only remove valuable nutrients from the local bio-cycle, but when buried in a landfill, the anaerobic decomposition that results contributes to ground water contamination and uncontrolled methane generation, increasing the occurrence of greenhouse gas emissions. Organic waste contains valuable nutrients that can contribute to the soil health in the immediate area of their production if recycled. Brown waste such as paper, paperboard, corrugated fiberboard and dry plant material such as leaves, are "captured carbon". Green waste, such as fresh plant residues and fruit and vegetable scraps contain much of the nitrogen used to generate their growth, as well as other essential macro- and micronutrients, such as boron,U.S. Borax Inc. Functions of Boron in Plant Nutrition copper, or iodine, lacking in some locales, so otherwise replaced with purchased commercial amendments. It also factors for minimum ammonium losses during composting of the residues of trimming.Pedro, Remedios Yanez, Sebastian Caparros, and Manuel Jesus Diaz. "Evaluating environmental parameters for minimum ammonium losses during composting of trimming residues.(TECHNICAL PAPER)(Report)." Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association 59.7 (July 2009): 790(11). General OneFile. Gale. BENTLEY UPPER SCHOOL LIBRARY (BAISL). 6 Oct. 2009 . From the compost at home, it can help improve your soil, prevent plant disease, and reduce green house gasses.Tate, Ashley, and Sharon Tanenbaum. "composting 101.(solutions; UNCOMMON KNOWLEDGE)." Real Simple 10.10 (Oct 2009): 56. General OneFile. Gale8 Oct. 2009 . The compost can also help soften plant material, increase the water holding capacity of the plant, and convert the ammonia in the plant into protein.Beyer, David M., and John Pecchia. "What is compost quality?(compost & raw materials)." Mushroom News 57.8 (August 2009): 4(9). General OneFile. Gale. 8 Oct. 2009 . Methods Container composting is a common style of small scale composting, using any of a wide variety of plastic, wood, masonry, or wire screen containers. Vented or closed sided compost bins each have proponents for the effect on air circulation and heat loss or retention in the compost. The Indore method developed by Sir Albert Howard, as well as the Shewell Cooper method favour spaced slats, while the New Zealand Box method advocates the use of closed sides. Combinations of the two are also used. A compost bin is the container used to make compost. Commercially these bins may be made of hard plastic, and is commonly cylindrical in shape, although a variety of shapes and sizes are available. The manufactured bins are commonly found in urban and suburban areas, and in some districts of North America and the U.K., local authorities subsidise the cost to encourage public waste stream reduction. They also may be user-made out of wood, or whatever salvaged, recycled materials are at hand, particularly in rural areas or where larger amounts of yard and garden waste are generated. In some areas, community bin sites are provided. Compost bins can be as simple as a square slatted wood enclosure or as sophisticated as a tumbler, which allows for the “pile” to be turned for aeration purposes. The advantage of using a compost bin as opposed to creating loose heaps is to provide the ideal controlled environment for aerobic decomposition to occur more completely and rapidly, while providing the home garden a tidy, sanitary spot for on-site disposal of any yard or kitchen waste. Trench composting is a method where a trench is dug and filled with kitchen scraps, leaves, twigs, lawn clippings, and the original topsoil. The area can be used for planting after between a month and a year. German mound (Hugelkultur) is a method of composting, especially woody garden wastes, such as prunings, hedge clippings, and brassica stalks by burying them in the base of a mound in a grassy area. It involves trenching the depth required to remove the turf (sod), 30-90 centimeters (12–36 in) wide, and in its centre is dug another shallow hole into which the rough material is piled. Removed sod is then stacked face-down onto this pile, then layers of compost, well rotted leaves, manure, etc. are added. The layers gradually decompose slowly releasing nutrients and creating rich humus over time; this is ideal for growing hungry crops such as squash or strawberries. The mound also provides a well-drained planting area for plants such as squash that are prone to rotting in moist climates. Sheet composting is the process of placing the organic matter for the compost directly onto the soil as a mulch and letting it decay there, rather than in a heap or container. One or more layers of organic material are spread over the growing area, watered thoroughly, and left to decompose until planting time. The next season's garden is usually planted without tilling the compost into the soil. More layers of organic material are placed as the bottom layers decompose thoroughly. This method is occasionally called "lasagna gardening" because of the layered structure. Proponents of this system argue that sheet composting causes fewer nutrients to be lost through leaching than heap methods, also that fresh organic matter rather than decayed, provides a slower release of minerals when applied. It is also said that, in the long term, sheet composting leads to higher nitrogen levels in the soil, as some may be lost by leaching or vaporisation in a traditional heap. Field composting is a large-scale composting method used in no-till farming. Commonly, this is achieved by growing a 'green manure' cover crop such as mustard, alfalfa, or buckwheat, which is cut, preferably before seed setting, and left on the field to decompose. The next crop is sown without tilling the previous crop into the field. To avoid temporary nitrogen depletion, leguminous green manure crops such as lupin, winter tares, field beans, or clover, which are able to fix their own nitrogen supply in root nodules may be used. The nitrogen is released as the plants decay. See also * Bokashi * Composting * Composting toilet * Effective microorganisms * Leaf mold * Spent mushroom compost * Uses of compost * Vermicompost References External links * Compost Bin Buying Guide * Illinois Univ. Extension, Materials for composting * Making compost * Cornell Univ. Composting pages * Riverside County CA home compost bin plans * The EPA’s guide to home composting * A hub for composting information * Compost bin distributor for municipalities * Compost Manual * Composting and Compost Bin Articles Category:Biodegradable waste management Category:Home composting Category:Backyards ar:وعاء سماد عضوي cs:Kompostoviště it:Compostiera ja:コンポスター pl:Kompostownik spl pi